


It's nice to have a friend

by HikariHM



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Because I can't go more than 5 minutes without writing stuff based on taylor swift songs, Childhood Friends, Domestic Fluff, DualRivalShipping, F/M, Fluff, Growing Up Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:22:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21964888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HikariHM/pseuds/HikariHM
Summary: Even if life changed, Bianca knew Cheren would always have her back, every day.
Relationships: Bel | Bianca/Cheren
Kudos: 24





	It's nice to have a friend

The school bell rang one last time. Chorus lessons were over and the teacher allowed them to leave. 

Bianca was saving her stuff carefully inside her messenger bag until from the door she listened to the voice of her friend calling her name.

“Bianca! Hurry!”

She gasped, “gimme a sec!”

And after a minute or two, they got out of the hall to walk around the school garden, heading to the exit gate, until the cool weather making her body shiver made her realize something was missing.

Her gloves.

Grudgingly, complaining, Cheren went with her back to the hall. And they couldn’t find her gloves. Bianca started to cry a bit because she loved her pink gloves and because her dad was going to get mad at her if she accidentally caught a cold because of that. 

When her sobs subsided a bit and they were already out of the school, walking through the snowy road, and she began to shiver a little more, Cheren stopped in his tracks and stared at her with an expression between annoyed and indulgent. 

“Here.”

He took out one of his gloves and lent it to her.

“I can’t accept it! You’ll get cold!”

“But my mom won’t scold me for that.”

He was right. For that, Bianca accepted it as her cheeks blushed slightly, too flattered by that. 

And a lot more at ease, they kept walking, listening absentmindedly to the sound of their footsteps against the cold ground.

“Too good Hilda didn’t come today. It’s so cold. She would have gotten sicker.”

“Yeah... but I missed her. Everything was too silent today at school.”

She hummed, looking at her own feet stepping and leaving marks upon the snow.

“Do you think she would be up to playing with us today?”

Cheren hesitated, “I don’t think so. Her mom told mine this morning that she’s very sick and the doctor told her to not get out of bed.”

“Aw...”

“But, you know, if you want, you can come to my house and we can play the new video game my dad bought me.”

Tilting her head, smiling, she chuckled and nodded, “sure! Mommy bought me chips yesterday, I’ll bring them with me!”

“Cool! You know my mom doesn’t let me eat chips anymore.”

“It’s going to be so much fun!”

And it really was. Her mom took her to his house, and while they were in his room playing video games and laughing and eating snacks both their mothers were gossiping downstairs as they were best friends since always. 

And it was such a breath of fresh air. Bianca couldn’t say she was an unhappy child; in fact, it was the opposite. She had a nice place, her room was pink, her dad bought her lots of plushies and her mom always made delicious desserts for her. But sometimes they gave her too much attention and worried so much about her that it became overwhelming.

And playing video games with Cheren it all seemed a little easier to go through. She felt safe by his side, as if all the dangers her dad told her about couldn't reach her. 

It was nice to have a friend.

* * *

Cheren sighed deeply.

And that made Bianca sigh as well, as she loosened in her chair and stared up to the pink sky above them, which soon will turn lilac and progressively dark blue. 

That day they met again after two years of being apart from each other; it wasn’t as if they hadn’t talked to each other since then, but as their lives ended up taking different paths they stopped seeing each other for a long time.

And to make up for that, Cheren took her to his favorite coffee shop, ordered something he knew Bianca was going to like, and then, after a walk around Aspertia City, they ended up there; up on the roof of Cheren’s apartment complex, each sat down in their respective chair, sharing some tea and snacks Cheren had saved.

“How would be Rosa and her friends doing?”

“Surely they’re doing amazing. With the way they battled against me I can tell they’ll do great in their journey.”

Bianca sighed, “they kinda remembered me of us...” and she chuckled. “Of that time we got our first Pokémon, that we had our first battle together...”

At the lack of response coming from her friend, Bianca sighed once more.

“Back that day, I’d never had imagined two years afterward I’d be the one giving another group of friends their first Pokémon...”

“Life’s truly a crazy thing, isn’t it?” Cheren added tiredly.

It really was.

Everything had changed a lot ever since they started their adventure. And at moments like that, she realized it.

Cheren now lived on his own, he got paid, he had a very nice job, and he became completely independent. Bianca also had gained a bit of independence as she also had a good job and moved freely to anywhere she wanted to. There were no more curfews, no more exaggerated restrictions coming from her dad.

Everything had changed a lot.

“I also wonder how’s Hilda doing...” she added after a while. “I haven’t heard anything about her in a while.”

“Me neither. But you know what they say; if there’s no news then it means good news.”

“I know right,” and she grinned. “But I’d really like to know if she found N already!”

And Cheren grimaced, equaling her grin, “the same applies to N,” he said playfully. “If there’s no news about him that only means good news to us.”

Getting what he implied, Bianca poked him with her elbow, “Cheren! Don’t be mean!”

“I’m not mean, as always, I’m just stating facts.”

She rolled her eyes, amused, “and what are you going to do when Hilda is back with him, huh? Do you remember we promised her we all will be friends?”

“Wow, I can’t wait for the moment that happens, the thrill doesn’t even let me sleep at nights!”

Once more, she poked him.

“Do your students know that their beloved teacher is such a mean man?”

That made him laugh, wholeheartedly, in a way she hadn’t heard in too long. It was relieving. It made her feel at ease.

“Anyways,” Bianca added, as she wanted to make a call out of that since earlier that day. “I never thought you’d had such easiness to get along with kids. They all really seem to admire and respect you a lot.”

It was his turn to get loose on his chair and stare to the sky.

“How can I say it?” His tone was now low. “Those guys are the ones keeping me together at the moment,” he paused, briefly. “I mean... being a gym leader and the responsibilities that come along with that, like the paperwork, become tiresome sometimes. The expectations put upon you, the social pressure that takes, even the fact that as a teacher you know that whatever that happens to the kids could be your fault and that, because of that you gotta be extra careful all the time...”

He stopped.

“I’m sorry for venting, it’s just that I’ve been stressed out lately.”

But there was nothing to be sorry about.

“Yeah... me too.”

Cheren stayed silent as if giving space for Bianca to elaborate, but she chose to say nothing instead and he seemed to understand her reasons anyways.

It worried her to make mistakes. To be out there and not be able to defend herself if something like the Plasma crisis ever happened again. Scared that her dad would be right all along about overprotecting her for years. Afraid to disappoint Professor Juniper, who was the one to trust her when only a few people in her whole life had done.

She tried to ignore it. She tried to not allow the fear to defeat and paralyze her. But if she thought about that, she’d feel the pressure squeezing her chest and-

Suddenly something snapped her out of her thoughts.

Warm fingers laced with hers, and after some clumsy seconds, a hand held hers, squeezing it for reassurance.

Bianca stared surprised at Cheren, who couldn’t even keep his gaze for too long; he couldn’t help the heat from taking over his cheeks, and soon his pale face was all blushed, making him look cute beyond words...

Adding to how good looking he had become.

Even if she didn’t manage to say a word as she could feel her own cheeks growing flustered, it was as if she had actually demanded an excuse.

“It’s...”

Cheren sighed.

“It’s good to see you again, Bianca.”

And the tension broke down in a chuckle coming from her.

And Bianca pulled the chair closer to him, and without releasing his slightly shaking hand, she leaned closer to him and laid her cheeks against his shoulder.

“It’s also good to see you. I missed you,” she cooed.

And the response was also as relieved and affectionate as hers, “me too. Me too.”

And like that, they kept staring at the sun-sinking sky. In utter silence, just enjoying each other’s company. And for Bianca, it felt like coming back to a safe place after walking through a path of uncertainty.

She felt understood. She felt appreciated. 

It was nice to have a friend.

* * *

She didn’t know why at times like that she became nostalgic.

Maybe it was that the morning was cold and snowy. Maybe it was the stillness of the place, that everyone was still sleeping. But that made her prepare some hot chocolate, serve herself some in a pink mug, go looking for a family album and then head to the living room, to seat on the couch by the Christmas tree. 

She opened the album, and a smile came across her face as soon as her eyes lied upon the first pictures. 

She remembered the sound of the church bells ringing. How there was so much rice spread over the floor that it made it look like snow. How she couldn’t stop giggling the moment Cheren carried her in his arms, how precious she felt in her white dress. To her memory also came Hilda’s smiling face, Professor Juniper and Fennel tearing happily, Elesa, Iris, Alder, N, everybody cheering them...

The bliss from that day had never really left her. And it came back to her each time she looked at those pictures.

She kept going through all the different pages, watching photographs of her with many different people, of Cheren and her cutting the cake, of all of them toasting, of Hilda doing a drunk speech.

“Good morning.”

She rose her gaze only to find him.

“Oh, good morning, babe!”

As she approached her, Bianca awaited with anticipation, keeping her position until a kiss landed on her lips briefly.

“What were you doing, huh?”

“Oh, I just woke up a bit too early, prepared some hot chocolate and started to watch our family albums.”

Wordlessly, Cheren asked her if he could join her, and she made room for him on the couch to sit beside her. 

“Can I have some?”

“Sure,” she lent him the cup. “If you want you can also get yourself some. I prepared plenty of hot chocolate for everyone.”

When he left the mug over the small table in front of them, Cheren wrapped his arms around her and leaned over her shoulder.

“Oh, so you were watching our wedding album again.”

“You can’t blame me,” she chuckled, happily. “That day was the best.”

And he snorted indulgently, “it really was.”

They went silent for a second.

“Oh, that’s... drunk Hilda.”

“I remember that poor N didn’t know what to do with her.”

Cheren snorted, “when she and Elesa began to dance, god...”

“When Lenora almost joined them,” Bianca added to his statement, enthusiastically.

“Not only that, she was pulling Clay to the dance floor with her as well.”

Both started to laugh at the memory of that.

“We should’ve let them do that, it would’ve been epic, that was a once in a lifetime chance and we just wasted it.”

Before Cheren could reply to that, they listened to the thud of one of the doors being shut, and their smiles grew with anticipation; and Cheren only tightened his embrace while they waited for her to arrive at the living room.

And after some seconds there she was; a girl, with her dark hair loose and slightly disheveled, with her glasses on, wearing a pink pajama and Zekrom slippers that were a gift from auntie Hilda, and beside her, her loyal companion, Lillipup. The moment she saw them she smiled cheerfully, but when her gaze focused on the boxes under the Christmas tree she began to giggle happily.

“Mom! Dad!” She gasped and began to jump on her spot. “Mr. Delibird really left me some presents!”

And Cheren smiled that tender, sweet smile that managed to melt her heart every single day, “that’s great, sweetheart!”, his voice, the tone he used, how he became so soft around their daughter, everything made her feel wrapped in bliss. “Why don't you show us what Mr. Delibird brought to you?”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

As she knelt under the tree and picked a present, Cheren kissed Bianca’s cheek softly, making her face flutter, and she could only look at him, sort of amazed; who would have thought that the smarty Cheren from their teenage years could get to be so sweet and such a caring and loving parent and husband?

“Why are you smiling like that, huh?” He asked in a low, playful tone.

“You’re really something else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember when we were like 9 and you told me that the whole Mr. Delibird thing was too silly for someone like you and-”

Cheren blushed, shaking his head.

“I was 9 and bitter because Hilda got better presents than me, alright?” He tried to excuse himself. “Besides, just look at Olivia, she looks so cute all excited, like, I want her to open all of the presents already.”

Bianca chuckled and said, “dork.”

And that only brought just too much color to his husband’s face.

“Woah, daddy, look!” She stood for a second. “It’s a magic oven! Like those on the commercials!”

“How nice! Will you bake cookies for mom and me?”

“Yeah, I’ll do all of your favorites.”

And like that she kept moving on with the different gifts until she opened a large red box and gasped.

“Oh my god! Look!” She got closer to her parents. “It’s a Princess Roselia dress! I can’t believe it!”

“Oh, honey,” Bianca reached out to touch the fabric. Cheren really put effort into getting all those presents. “It’s beautiful! I guess it took Mr. Delibird a lot to find it.”

“Can I go try it? Please?”

“Of course, my princess. We want to see how do you look in it.”

Being followed by her little Lillipup, Olivia went upstairs, leaving both of them alone.

“Seriously, Cheren. Thank you for getting the presents for her, you know I was so busy at the lab that barely had time to do anything.”

“Never mind that,” he pecked his forehead briefly. “Now, don’t you want to check if Mr. Delibird brought you something as well?”

Bianca opened her mouth, nicely surprised. Then, pulled her head back laughing at the suggestion, placing both hands over Cheren’s chest, until she looked back at him and in his eyes glimpsed anticipation.

“You got me something?”

“It’s very small,” he even motioned with his hands. “But the moment I saw it I thought that you’d love it. I couldn’t stop myself from getting it for you.”

She felt lucky. So lucky.

“May I open it now?”

“Please, do.”

For a moment Bianca left her place at the couch, just to kneel in front of the tree and search between all the already unwrapped gifts one that would have her name written on a small tag. It didn’t take her much longer to find a tiny box wrapped with a lavender paper. And like that, she stood, went back to the couch, and slowly, careful to not ruin the wrap because it was neat, she opened the present.

And immediately exclaimed.

“Ah, a Munna hairpin!” Bianca held it between her hands. “It’s been years since the last time I saw one of these.”

“Yeah, same.”

“Do you remember I used to wear one a lot when I was around Olivia’s age?”

“That was why it reminded me of you.”

“I love it,” she carefully put the present aside and placed her hands over each of Cheren’s cheeks. “Thank you so much.”

“Nothing to thank me,” Cheren grabbed her shoulders. “I love you.”

No matter how many times she had already heard that, it never got old, the thrill she felt the first time Cheren said it when they were younger was still there. And feeling the bliss taking over her, Bianca softly kissed his lips, in such a wholehearted way, trying to display as much of her love for him as possible.

“I love you too,” Bianca uttered when they parted, and immediately let Cheren hug her, nuzzling her face against his chest, enjoying so much the warmth his embrace provided in that snowy morning.

Maybe that was the best part of it all; they both knew each other since forever. Bianca had the chance to see Cheren growing from the smarty, self-centered and even sarcastic kid to the gentle, mature and committed man he was now. As well, Cheren watched her growing up from a whimpering, overprotected and shy little girl to the strong, passionate and hardworking woman she became. At every step of the road they had been together. They helped each other. And that only reassured her that, whatever that could come next, Cheren would be there as always, having her back, supporting her, making the best team together.

It was really nice to have a friend.

**Author's Note:**

> Let's not allow this ship to be forgotten.


End file.
